biggest bp charge

jdm92584 · December 16, 2005, 03:36 PM

is there a muzzle loader out there that takes charges larger than 150gr?just wondering

Smokin_Gun · December 17, 2005, 02:33 AM

5LB. Cannon...

gmatov · December 17, 2005, 03:03 AM

The printed data says that a sub .45 cal pistol takes 1 grain per caliber, ie, 45 gr. max for .45 cal, .44 max for .44 cal, .36 max for .36 cal.

For the rifles of .50 or so, 1.4 to 1.5 gr. per caliber, .50 equals 70 to 75 grs.

Anything over is wasted powder, gets blown out of the barrel as flash, or melts into the barrel as fouling.

Some don't believe it, but the old way to tell if you were overcharged was to fire over virgin snow, see how much unburnt powder was blown out of the barrel. WHY they won't believe it, since the smokeless people do lay down white paper and check for unburnt powder, is beyond me.

There IS a point of "diminishing returns", where you stuff more powder in the chamber and get less boost than all the boosts before that load. You might get more "kick", but it is because you are blowing more weight out of the barrel, not only the ball, but the powder mass. That does count too, y'know.

I don't know enough about this stuff to tell any of you guys anything. Still, mebbe some is wrong.

Cheers,

George

Old Dragoon · December 17, 2005, 02:22 PM

A friend brought a Birmingham 4 bore rifle to a rendevous in Okla once upon a time. We all had to shoot the biggest gun anyone had seen. It took 200 grns. BP the bullet was ,998 dia X almost two inches long. We all wore brusies from that gun. We set up a gong 3 Ft. in Dia approx 200 yds across a draw. more hit it than didn't with that brusier. Some got knocked clean over when they touched it off. I watched most of the guys shoot it and decided that , as short as I was I outweighg the majority of 'em. When it came my turn, I leaned into that big old gun and cut loose, hit the gong and stood there with the biggest brusie on my shoulder, to date, that I'd ever had, but I did stand. that gun certainly killed on one end and maimed on the other.
That Birmingham 4 Bore was an Elephant gun. That is the biggest charge and bullet I have seen to date or shot.

Would like to find one like it someday.

Wayner · December 18, 2005, 12:06 PM

There's a new inline that fires up to 250gr. powder. It can move a 350gr. bullet "over" 3,000fps and do it with astonishing accuracy even way out there. A 30-06 does a 180gr. bullet at just up to 3,000fps. That inline muzzleloader is one powerful muzzleloader. It uses Pyrodex pellets and needs it's primer to be hotter to get the spark to the 4th and 5th pellets. It has a primer that is actually a 45winchester mag(semi auto pistol) cartridge case that uses the magnum pistol primer that is hotter than the 209 shotshell primer. The new inline ML comes from "Ultimate Firearms" manufacturers. I've heard it said that the blackpowder in a rifle barel is burned up in the first 18 inches of barrel. Maybe this rifle is proof since it would have to burn a lot of powder to move a heavy bullet that fast. I believe that the amount of powder a rifle can burn depends a good bit on the weight of the projectile it fires.I never thought a rifle could burn 250grains though even with a 300gr. bullet. The Pyrodex pellets have a hole through the middle of them though and that may help ignition a lot. Wonder what kind of velosity the bullet in that rifle would get from 250grains of regulat ffg blackpowder? Less I bet.

December 16, 2005, 03:36 PM	#1
jdm92584 Member Join Date: August 25, 2005 Posts: 52	biggest bp charge is there a muzzle loader out there that takes charges larger than 150gr?just wondering __________________ "shoot straight and dont trackem"my dad my toys bulgarian makarov in 9x18 mossberg 695 sluggun in 12ga remington 760 in 30.06 ted williams edition polychoke 12ga pump from sears yugo sks remington model 81 semiauto 35 44bp by traditions 54 bp rifle by traditions nef .410 i got at 12 22 stevens marlin model 60 22 35 leveraction marlin 336

December 17, 2005, 02:33 AM	#2
Smokin_Gun Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2005 Location: Mojave Desert, CA Posts: 1,195	Yup they sho is! 5LB. Cannon... __________________ "I Smoke Black Powder" "Favor an 1858 Remington" SGT. Smokin' Gun, Mosby's Rangers 43rd Virginia Cavalry C.S.A. SASS# 19634, ... Admin:http://blackpowdersmoke.com/oldcoots/index.php

December 18, 2005, 12:06 PM	#5
Wayner Senior Member Join Date: December 8, 2005 Posts: 116	biggest blackpowder charge There's a new inline that fires up to 250gr. powder. It can move a 350gr. bullet "over" 3,000fps and do it with astonishing accuracy even way out there. A 30-06 does a 180gr. bullet at just up to 3,000fps. That inline muzzleloader is one powerful muzzleloader. It uses Pyrodex pellets and needs it's primer to be hotter to get the spark to the 4th and 5th pellets. It has a primer that is actually a 45winchester mag(semi auto pistol) cartridge case that uses the magnum pistol primer that is hotter than the 209 shotshell primer. The new inline ML comes from "Ultimate Firearms" manufacturers. I've heard it said that the blackpowder in a rifle barel is burned up in the first 18 inches of barrel. Maybe this rifle is proof since it would have to burn a lot of powder to move a heavy bullet that fast. I believe that the amount of powder a rifle can burn depends a good bit on the weight of the projectile it fires.I never thought a rifle could burn 250grains though even with a 300gr. bullet. The Pyrodex pellets have a hole through the middle of them though and that may help ignition a lot. Wonder what kind of velosity the bullet in that rifle would get from 250grains of regulat ffg blackpowder? Less I bet.

December 17, 2005, 03:03 AM	#3
gmatov Junior member Join Date: September 20, 2005 Posts: 346	The printed data says that a sub .45 cal pistol takes 1 grain per caliber, ie, 45 gr. max for .45 cal, .44 max for .44 cal, .36 max for .36 cal. For the rifles of .50 or so, 1.4 to 1.5 gr. per caliber, .50 equals 70 to 75 grs. Anything over is wasted powder, gets blown out of the barrel as flash, or melts into the barrel as fouling. Some don't believe it, but the old way to tell if you were overcharged was to fire over virgin snow, see how much unburnt powder was blown out of the barrel. WHY they won't believe it, since the smokeless people do lay down white paper and check for unburnt powder, is beyond me. There IS a point of "diminishing returns", where you stuff more powder in the chamber and get less boost than all the boosts before that load. You might get more "kick", but it is because you are blowing more weight out of the barrel, not only the ball, but the powder mass. That does count too, y'know. I don't know enough about this stuff to tell any of you guys anything. Still, mebbe some is wrong. Cheers, George

December 17, 2005, 02:22 PM	#4
Old Dragoon Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2005 Location: The Republic of Californi Posts: 581	A friend brought a Birmingham 4 bore rifle to a rendevous in Okla once upon a time. We all had to shoot the biggest gun anyone had seen. It took 200 grns. BP the bullet was ,998 dia X almost two inches long. We all wore brusies from that gun. We set up a gong 3 Ft. in Dia approx 200 yds across a draw. more hit it than didn't with that brusier. Some got knocked clean over when they touched it off. I watched most of the guys shoot it and decided that , as short as I was I outweighg the majority of 'em. When it came my turn, I leaned into that big old gun and cut loose, hit the gong and stood there with the biggest brusie on my shoulder, to date, that I'd ever had, but I did stand. that gun certainly killed on one end and maimed on the other. That Birmingham 4 Bore was an Elephant gun. That is the biggest charge and bullet I have seen to date or shot. Would like to find one like it someday.